The Åland Islands sit between Sweden and Finland, and almost everyone arrives by ferry from Stockholm, Turku or Helsinki. On land, connectivity is simple: Åland is an autonomous region of Finland, so it is inside the EU, and co:sim's Åland eSIM connects to Ålcom, the islands' own operator, with 5G listed on the plan page. The part that catches travellers out is the crossing itself. Once a ship leaves coastal coverage, phones can switch to an on-board maritime network that is billed as satellite roaming, not EU roaming. This guide covers when an Åland eSIM makes sense, how co:sim's plans are structured, what coverage looks like across the archipelago, and how to set up before you sail.
EU or EEA phone plan: Åland counts as Finland, so the EU's Roam Like at Home rules apply on land (European Commission, roaming policy). A separate eSIM is optional, although it can still help if your home allowance is small or has a fair-use cap.
UK, US, Asian or other non-EU plan: you pay your carrier's international roaming rate. A prepaid data eSIM is usually far cheaper for a trip of a few days.
Everyone on a ferry: out at sea, the ship's own mobile network is not covered by EU roaming rules for any plan, and it is not covered by a land-based travel eSIM either.
co:sim's Åland Islands eSIM runs on Ålcom. At the time of writing (October 2026), the catalogue includes two types of plan:
Plan type
Options
From
Daily plans
500MB, 1GB, 2GB or 3GB of high-speed data per day, slowing down after the daily allowance
$2.99 per day
Fixed data
1GB for 7 days, then 3GB, 5GB, 10GB or 20GB for 30 days
$4.99 (1GB / 7 days)
Prices and options change, so check the plan page before you buy. A few details apply across the Åland plans: validity starts at first connection in Åland rather than at purchase, you have up to 90 days to install the eSIM after buying, and several plans can be topped up if you need more data.
If Åland is one stop on a longer trip, the Europe (42 areas) plan also covers Åland alongside Finland, Sweden, Estonia and most of Europe, so a Stockholm to Mariehamn to Helsinki route can run on one eSIM.
Wooden boathouses on the water in the Åland Islands
Åland has around 6,700 islands, but most visitors spend their time on the main island, around Mariehamn, and on the larger inhabited islands linked by road bridges and short car ferries. Coverage is strongest in Mariehamn and along the main roads. On the outer islands and the smaller archipelago ferries, expect signal to vary with distance from the nearest mast, so download offline maps before you head out to places like Kökar or Brändö.
If you are cycling Åland, which is one of the most popular ways to explore it, a 1GB or 2GB daily plan is usually enough for navigation, messaging and photo uploads.
Big Baltic ferries (Viking Line, Tallink Silja and others) spend hours in open water between Sweden, Åland and Finland. Near the coast your phone uses land networks. Further out, it may connect to the ship's own network, which routes calls and data through satellite and is billed at maritime roaming rates that can be very high, even on EU plans.
To avoid a surprise bill:
Before boarding, turn off data roaming on your home line.
Keep your travel eSIM as the data line, and turn it off too once the ship is well away from the coast.
If you want to stay online at sea, buy the ship's Wi-Fi package instead of relying on mobile data.
Turn mobile data back on when you can see the coastline or once you dock in Mariehamn or Långnäs.
Yes. Åland is part of Finland and inside the EU, so EU and EEA phone plans roam at domestic rates on land. The exception is on board ferries, where maritime networks are not covered.
The co:sim Åland plans list Ålcom, the local operator, with 5G support on compatible phones.
#Can I use the same eSIM in Stockholm and Helsinki?
A single-country Åland plan only covers Åland. For a trip that also takes in Sweden and Finland, choose the Europe (42 areas) regional plan instead.
#How much data do I need for a weekend in Mariehamn?
For maps, messaging and social media, 1GB to 3GB is usually enough for two or three days. Choose more if you plan to stream video or share a hotspot with a laptop.
Åland is easy to stay connected in once you are on land. Plan for the crossing, pick the plan that matches your route, and install before you board.
co:sim Team
